CTC Sentinel published in February 2024 an article titled "Somalia's Stalled Offensive Against al-Shabaab: Taking Stock of Obstacles" by Daisy Muibu, Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
The Somali government launched an offensive against al-Shabaab almost a year and a half ago. It had some early success but has now stalled out. The goal was to defeat al-Shabaab by the end of 2024 when the African Union forces are scheduled to leave Somalia. The author identified obstacles to success as overly ambitious timelines, donor fatigue, lukewarm regional support, strategic mistakes, clan divisions, and the ability of al-Shabaab to regroup quickly after military setbacks.
